Plenty of hats: Research, learning, teaching are all important for owner and president of Branson Surveys

Greg Eans / The Gleaner
Branson Surveys inc. Vice President Clifton Krahwinkel, left, and President Dennis Branson look over some aerial photos at the business.

Greg Eans / The Gleaner
Dennis Branson, professional surveyor and president of Branson Surveys Inc., relaxes at his business on Second Street.$RETURN$$RETURN$

It took six months for a recent client of Branson Surveys to hire them. They wanted their land surveyed but couldn't find the deed. Half a year of searching had them almost ready to give up, but the company's president, Dennis Branson, convinced them to let him handle it.

"It's part of what we do," Branson said. "It's part of what we love."

He and his team at Branson Surveys started interviewing the client's neighbors, piecing together folklore about the history of the land from people in the surrounding area and pouring over historical archives of deeds. It took two weeks.

"When we put together the interviews, the family names that kept coming up, and researched all the transactions, through a process of elimination we found the originals owners and the deed," Branson said.

Branson explained that their recent client, like many, think that land surveyors just come out and take measurements and turn over their findings, but that's just one of their many duties.

"There are so many hats a good surveyor should wear," Branson said. "You have to know about astronomy, you have to know the law and how to interpret and apply it, you have to know about engineering, you have to be a good negotiator, and you have to be able to research."

And for Branson, who purchased Branson Surveys from his father, Richard, in 1985, hard work is also a necessary piece of the equation. For 10 years he worked 365 days a year putting in 14-hour days.

"It was my whole life," Branson said. "And it was my dad," he emphasized. "There was no way I was going to miss a payment to my dad."

To keep the business afloat and the steady payments to his dad, he began his workday at 4:30 a.m. (something he still does today).

Branson explained that he has always been an earlybird and starting his workday before anyone else means no phones ringing, no people interrupting you and at least two hours of pure concentration.

Now, it's a life and a schedule he revels in. But if you would have talked to him at any point growing up, he would have told you that putting in 14-hour days at his dad's business was the last place he wanted to find his future self.

In fact, he drove this point home by arriving at the University of Kentucky for his college education and immediately declaring a major as far away from surveying as he could get — music.

"I found out very quickly music wasn't for me," Branson said. "And I eventually changed it to civil engineering."

He didn't get the chance to finish his degree. The draft pulled him out of UK and in to the Navy Reserves where he spent seven years. It was long enough for Branson to solidify his decision that going home to Henderson and working with his dad was exactly where he wanted his future self to be.

"I came home and asked my dad for a job," Branson said. "And I was the lowest paid employee here forever. He knew he could get away with it."

Somewhere between the fields and the research, Branson's passion for surveying caught fire. And then, in 1983, with Henderson in the midst of an oil boom, he received a phone call that changed his business forever.

The call was from local attorney Charlie McCollom. The courthouse was offering copies of all archived deeds on microfilm. Branson and McCollom split the cost and purchased a set.

McCollom, who at the time was dealing with oil cases, and Branson, who frequently needed historical deeds for research, both had something to gain. For Branson, not only could he pull up deeds from the comfort of his own office, he could also take his time on longer research projects and work from home.

The first major project he undertook was identifying the original boundary lines of historic downtown Henderson. Branson explained that over time as land is sold and purchased, property lines tend to be rounded up.

"I discovered that if you added up all the deed dimensions you would always end up with 30 or 40 feet more than what is really there," he said.

So he put his research hat on and scrolled through 80 hours of microfilm. And that was for Book 1. He went on to complete 40 books in 4 years.

"It was amazing," Branson said. "The original town lines were done in 1797 and re-surveyed in 1801. In 1835 it was redone but the lot corners were marked with wooden stakes. That lasted for about 10 years and then after that — no one has been able to tell where right of way lines are. Not since 1835."

Until now.

Branson provided all his findings to the Henderson City-County Planning Commission and has since been consulted on several projects involving downtown Henderson — most recently the extension of the Henderson Riverwalk along Water Street.

"Dad always taught me that a good land surveyor should be as much like a public employee as they can," Branson said. "We are here for the public and that is something that has helped guide me through my approach to this business."

Branson also attributes his success to wearing the hats of both teacher and student, when needed. With the radical advances in technology (namely GPS, satellites and electronic measuring devices), Branson has been in a near constant state of learning new tools of the trade.

During an interview, he pointed to a display case in his office that held some of the first tools he used when he started 35 years ago. Now, these old, wooden measuring devices look more at home in a museum than in the field.

For most professions, advancing technology is a double-edge sword. While technology makes certain tasks easier — you have to learn it first. But for Branson, the benefits of using the satellites far outweigh any headaches.

"The greatest benefit is that once you survey a piece of land with the satellite it's there — forever," Branson said. "It goes into the database and then as we continue to survey other pieces of land they all integrate together to form one, large, complete map. From a surveyors perspective it's all about dimensional relationships and now with everything so connected it's absolutely mind boggling what we can accomplish and look at."

But before you get any ideas about surveying being a dying profession or being overtaken by satellites doing their job for them — Branson points out that surveying is not just about measuring.

Remember the hats? A satellite is not going to interpret or apply boundary law, or mediate between property owners, or research historical deeds, or any of the other uniquely specialized areas of land surveyors.

And, it is on these and other topics that Branson now spends time teaching to others. A teaching hat is not one he saw coming, but he said he has been pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is to wear.

"The first time I stood up in front of a room full of people to teach I was so scared," Branson said. "It was such a rush. But if you know your subject matter, once you start talking that fear goes away and it's replaced by this wonderful feeling. When you teach someone something and they ask questions and you're able to explain the answers — it's a rush and I love it."

Branson has taught workshops off and on with his friend and mentor Ted Madson (a lawyer and fellow land surveyor in Florida), and even helped him write several books including three volumes of Real Property Law for Florida, Kentucky and Connecticut.

As for what the future holds, Branson said he is planning another workshop on easements and would love to go back and research all the easements held by the city and county of Henderson.

"Easements are a passion of mine," Branson said. "There are so many areas and so many hats — I just wish I had more time."

Which, for someone who already wakes up at 4 a.m., is saying something.